


Jellybean's babysitter

by PopsAfterDark (knittersrevolt)



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Babysitters, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Slow Build, Then Gladys Jones happened, There wasn't supposed to be angst, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-19 21:20:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11906424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knittersrevolt/pseuds/PopsAfterDark
Summary: Jughead knew Betty Cooper existed. It was Riverdale, everybody knew everybody in the tiny town. Yeah, he knew who she was, but he’d never paid attention to her before. She had the body of a blond bombshell, but a sweet demeanor that didn’t fit the title. She participated in scores of clubs and committees. When they listed student rank she was always number one. She was also dating his ex-friend, Archie Andrews. All of this information he knew without even thinking about it. It was just KNOWN the ways things are in small towns.But there must've been something he was missing.Why would Jellybean pick this girl as her favorite babysitter? What made her different from the hordes of vapid sheep? Kind smiles and sweater sets?*Babysitting meet-cute AU that no one asked for set in freshman year.





	Jellybean's babysitter

“I hired a Babysitter.”

“Seriously?” 

Jughead asked as Jellybean said, “I’m not a baby! I don’t need a BABYsitter. I can cook food, I know how to use the phone. If the house starts burning down I know how to call 911.”

Shouting only made Jellybean look every minute of her nine years. The big pink bow that was perpetually in her hair always made her look young. She couldn’t have cared less because everyone who took the time to understand her knew that she was an old soul. Still, she had her moments when she was just a kid.

Gladys gave her wayward children a stern look, “I said I hired a babysitter, not, ‘I’m thinking about hiring a babysitter, let’s have a discussion’. I’m working a double, Jughead, you have school then work, your father is… out. Jells, I’m sorry but the last time I left you here alone the neighbor called CPS. Remember that nice social worker lady who threatened to take you into custody for neglect? Yeah, if you want to avoid her, you get a babysitter until you’re 12.”

“This is so DUMB!” Jellybean stormed off to her room.

Gladys sighed in defeat. She looked older than she was in her faded gray uniform and her hair pulled into a messy black bun. She was still beautiful, but the years were weighing on her. The crows feet around her eyes spoke of happier days, the gray in her hair of a hard life of work to keep food on the table. 

“Mom, can you even afford to pay someone?” Jughead dropped his voice low so Jellybean wouldn’t hear.

She turned wearily towards him, “That’s not something you need to worry about.” At his glare she added, “I’m making $17.50. Yeah, $10 an hour is expensive but we need every cent we can get and if I don’t go I could get fired and Lord knows we really can’t afford that.”

Jellybean opened her door to yell, “IF IT’S NOT ELIZABETH I’M NOT COMING OUT!” then slammed it again.

Jughead rolled his eyes at the dramatics. “Who’s Elizabeth?”

“A girl from your grade, I think she goes by Betty? Jell refuses to be watched by anyone else anymore. Says they’re more like friends than babysitter and babysitee, whatever that means.”

He thought about it for a minute. He took in his mother’s back hunched with pain, the weariness in her entire frame. “Offer her $7.50 instead of ten. Look tired when you do it. She’ll say yes. I’ve heard she’s a sucker for helping people out.”

His Mom wrapped him in a hug. She smelled like dish soap and home, “You’re a good kid, and I love you. Don’t try to teach me how to swindle people. It makes you an asshole. FINE I’LL GET ELIZABETH! NOW GET YOUR BUTT OUT HERE AND GET READY FOR SCHOOL!”

+++++++++++++++++

Jughead knew Betty Cooper existed. It was Riverdale, everybody knew everybody in the tiny town. Yeah, he knew who she was, but he’d never paid attention to her before. She had the body of a blond bombshell, but a sweet demeanor that didn’t fit the title. She participated in scores of clubs and committees. When they listed student rank she was always number one. She was also dating his ex-friend, Archie Andrews. All of this information he knew without even thinking about it. It was just KNOWN the ways things are in small towns. It was like how he knew Cheryl was head of the Vixens despite never seeing a performance or going to a game of anything in his life. Gossip just sort of infiltrates.

Now, he was suddenly aware of her. She laughed quietly with the new girl, Veronica, during English. She ignored taunts Cheryl tossed her way in math. She studiously helped Ethel during science. She smiled with Kevin at lunch. There was some part of the puzzle he had to be missing. Why would Jellybean pick this girl as her favorite babysitter? What made her different from the hordes of vapid sheep? Kind smiles and sweater sets?

Sure, she was objectively beautiful in that classic silver screen kind of way. Yeah, she did everything with perfect grace and poise, but she also let people walk all over her. What was so great about kindness if it cost you autonomy?

He resolved to put her out of his mind. What did he care about who watched Jellybean? If she was at his house it was because he wasn’t there to do the job himself. The final bell rang which meant it was time for work. On nights when the drive-in wasn’t open he either worked cleaning up the lot or at his second dreaded job as a fast food server. Sadly for him it was a flipping burgers kind of a night.

Jughead loved hamburgers with a passion. He could not stand the sight or smell of the compressed frozen beef-like patties he slung at that hell hole. They sizzled in thin rows on the skillet that hadn’t been cleaned in years. His only break from flipping the God awful things were when he pressed buttons and dropped fries into the vats of old fetid oil.

“Hey! Hey, Marilyn Manson!” Reggie taunted him from the other side of the counter, “You aren’t adding, like, people meat to those burgers are ya?”

He wished the restaurant would build a wall to at least partition him off from the dregs of society that frequented it, but alas they believed in what they called ‘product transparency’. It was a meaningless buzz term that left his back exposed to the packs of roving teenagers who were wired to dislike him because he disliked them. 

“Why? Are you offering to donate parts? Like your brain since it so rarely gets used?”

“Jones!” His Manager, who was rarely around and even less likely to be paying attention yelled to him, “You can’t speak to customers like that!”

“Yeah!” Reggie smirked, “I demand a refund!”

“You haven’t paid yet, you ignoramus!”

“That’s it! Jones, go home. You’re done for the night.” His manager snapped.

He gaped, “Am I getting fired?”

“Did I say fired? No, just go home and cool off.”

“Yeah, cool off.” Reggie mocked. The classic group jock laugh followed from the group. Jughead longed to cut at him some more, but held his tongue.

“Whatever, I’m out.”

Jughead trudged off to Pop’s. He didn’t want to be home when his mom got off shift. He knew she’d press him for details about why he was off early. He knew better than to act like that while working. To snap back at the infantile assholes who ruled the school social scenes. The household needed all the money it could get to try and keep Jellybean in clothes while she was growing so fast. They needed every dime they could scrape together. They didn’t need him losing good shift hours over dumb crap. Jellybean shouldn’t have shoes with holes because he couldn’t bite his cheek for five minutes.

Pop’s at least had good food. Sometimes he could even get some free stuff if it sat too long or people didn’t come for pickup. He ordered a coffee. It was his standard too-poor-for-fries fare. Pop nodded his understanding, “I think I have a chicken sandwich a lady sent back for having mayo on it. Let me check.”

“Thanks.”

Laughter floated down the aisle towards him. Laughter he recognized. He turned to see Jellybean and Betty sitting in a booth playing cards and giggling like maniacs. Jellybean had her back to the door so she didn’t see him until he was sliding into the booth next to Betty. “What brings you ladies here tonight?”

Jellybean slapped her hand down on the cards laid out on the table, “DOUBLES! HA!”

“Dang it!” Betty glared at him, “Now I’m losing and it’s all your fault. Jughead, right?”

“Oh please,” Jellybean rolled her eyes, “you were losing either way and you know it! Now put up or shut up!”

“Language.” Betty scolded. She flipped a card anyway. A back and forth went on until Betty let out an, “A ha!” and swept the new pile into her own deck.

Jughead watched the game going at lightning speed, “I have no idea what’s happening here.”

“Sandwich?” Pop asked. Jughead gratefully took it. It came out too soon to have been freshly prepared, so he didn’t even have to feel guilty about it.

“Who orders a sandwich, but no fries?” Jellybean grumbled. “I was going to steal some.”

“You had a shake, fries, rings, and a burger. How do you even have room?” Betty frowned as Jellybean slapped the pile triumphantly while she spoke.

“I’m a growing girl!” Jellybean argued back.

“What are you two playing, and why are you playing it here?”

“We’re playing Egyptian Rat Fuck!” his little sister gleefully informed him.

Betty didn’t look startled at Jellybean’s language. It was a testament to how much time they spent together. “It’s Egyptian Rat Screw, thank you very much, and your Dad came home and he…”

“Was drunk as hell.” 

“Jellybean!" Betty scolded, "He wasn’t feeling well, so we came here instead. It’s no big deal. We do it all the time.”

Jughead hated that Betty knew his father got plowed on a regular basis. Hated that Jellybean knew too. Hated that he could do nothing about it. Hated that he couldn’t just watch Jellybean himself. He usually did, but since getting a raise he made more money working than it cost to have someone else there. Someone like pretty Betty Cooper, who would work for far less than she was worth.

“Well, I’m here now. You can head on out.”

“No!” Jellybean whined, “She’s my friend. We’re having fun. I’m not leaving until Mom texts.”

Betty placed a hand on his shoulder, “Jughead, it’s fine. We’ll consider babysitting over for the night. Now we’re just hanging out. Want to learn how to play?” she smiled mischievously, waving the cards around.

“Yeah! You should play with us!” the littlest Jones bounced in her seat, “But just so you know, I’m the best and I’m going to kick your butt. When I get back from the bathroom, watch out!”

“Bring it on, small fry.” He called after her.

He eyed Betty warily while taking a huge bite out of his sandwich. He continued to stare as he chewed. “You may be going easy on her, but I won’t. And you don’t have to pretend to want to stay. You can fake a text from your Mom or something.”

“First, she really is that good, and second, just because you don’t like hanging out with her doesn’t mean I don’t. Jellybean is cool and she’s one of the only people in town who actually cares about the vintage cars that roll in. Trust me, I really don’t have anywhere I’d rather be tonight.”

He glared at her some more. “Fine, you can stay, just know I won’t be taking it easy on you. How do we play this stupid game?”

++++++++++++++++++++++

“It’s insane!” Jughead complained to Betty as she walked an incredibly sleepy Jellybean to the Jones residence. “No one can move that fast! She starts slapping before the card is even turned over I swear!”

Jellybean giggled, “Like it’s my fault you’re so slow.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, traitor, I was talking to Betty about you. See the difference?”

“All I see is a sore loser!” She pinched his side. He pinched back. Soon they were practically wrestling while laughing their heads off. A neighbor popped out to shush them. They made quiet apologies.

“There you are!” Gladys looked relieved to see them. The bags under her eyes were blue and wide. Her shirt was grease stained, her jeans too loose on her form.

“Sorry, Mom.” Jughead offered before the girls could speak, “I wanted a burger after my shift and dragged them with me. I should have texted.”

“Next time, please do. Betty, thank you so much. You’re really a life saver. How much do I owe you?”

“Just $30, Mrs. Jones. Jughead did pretty much everything while I just sat there drinking a shake.” She smiled innocently. With a face that straightforward and honest, who wouldn’t trust her? Jughead was torn between animosity at her charity and gratitude at her reading of the situation. Being poor fucking sucked.

“Here’s $35.” His Mom had clearly settled somewhere in between. “Thanks again for working on such short notice.”

“It was my pleasure. Jelly and I have a lot in common. She’s my girl.” They exchanged affectionate fist bumps. A surprising pang of jealousy rose up then was shoved away in a wink. Jellybean was supposed to look at him like that. He was her real sibling. It was a ridiculous sentiment so he dismissed it.

“Jug?” His Mom called after him? Jellybean was already inside. They were just waiting on him. He could hear the crunch of gravel as Betty walked away.

“I’ll be in, in just a minute. I think I forgot something.” 

When the door was soundly closed he chased after her. She even walked like she was important. She was going to be somebody someday. Every step was infused with purpose, even with the bounce in her gait. The moonlight shone through her arms illuminating her figure. There was no shame in appreciating it.

“Wait up!” 

She turned around with a smile, “Jughead Jones, to what do I owe the honor?”

“I just-” what was he going to say? Her eyes were so striking his mind went blank. “F.P., my Dad. Nobody needs to know about him. About what he gets like sometimes.”

She shook her head, “Of course not. He’s never violent. I’m sure you guys are never in danger or neglected or anything.”

“I don’t mean officially filing a complaint or something,” he rolled his eyes, “I meant to your friends. Nobody you hang out with needs to know about my family.”

“Oh! No, never. Trust me, I know all about family business being kept in the family. The Stepford veneer is strong at the Cooper house, but we’re not actually perfect either. Keeping secrets is practically our motto.”

“And here I thought it was exposing them. What with the Register and all.”

She boldly squeezed him into a tight hug he was so surprised by he didn’t respond. “We would never reveal anything about a friend.” She pulled back but kept her hands on his arms, “Take care of yourself, Juggy. I’ll see you in school tomorrow.”

She left him just standing there contemplating life. What was he supposed to do with that? Who was she to just hug him like that? To leave the scent of warm summer nights lingering in the air on a cold winter’s end night? To wake up his nerves like that? Who the hell did she think she was? 

++++++++++++++++++++

On a cold Thursday morning he made the long weary trip to school. F.P. and Gladys had quiet yelling matches with each other after Jellybean fell asleep the night before. She could sleep through wars, he was not as gifted. He drifted between dreams and screams until his father had gone to sleep on the couch just to have some peace.

He was determined to not make it worse by putting what little attention he had left on Betty Cooper. It was in vain. His Awareness of her hadn’t diminished all week. Even when he was concentrating on something else he seemed to have a fifth sense of where she was in the room. Her voice could penetrate the noisy din of even the gym which he so hated. She was reminding people to sign up for the dance committee. As if there were anything less appealing in the world.

His thoughts even wandered to her as he walked home. Over shakes and laughs at Pop’s he grudgingly began to see what Jellybean might like about her as a babysitter. She was fun. She could go with the flow and turn a sour mood around with a few laughs. The way she exuded trust and trustworthiness didn’t hurt either. He’d heard no rumors about himself in the halls. The daily tauntings remained about his demeanor and hat. She hadn’t given away his secrets as a gossip trade commodity. 

It was the first night in two weeks he had no job to go to. He was blissfully able to throw himself into some writing and let everything else go.

To say he was surprised to see Betty knock on their door that night would have been the understatement of the year. He could only gape as his mother lead her inside. The sweater she was wearing looked so soft and warm under her jacket he had the insane urge to pet it.

“Hi! I can’t stay long. Is Jellybean here?”

“Betty?” His sister asked. “Are you babysitting tonight?”

They both looked to Gladys to answer, “No. I’m not quite sure what Betty’s here for. Why don’t you ask?”

“Sorry to intrude. My Dad got tickets to this vintage car show this weekend. We have a couple extra. Would you maybe like to go with us?”

She held out a plain white ticket. Jellybean grabbed it with a shrug, “Could be cool. Let me see what we’re up to this weekend. I’ll get back to you.” 

“Okay! Um, let me know once you’ve checked your calendar.” Betty chuckled, “Maybe I’ll see you there. Bye!”

“I’ll text you. Bye!” Jellybean said indifferently. 

She peered out the window until Betty was well out of sight. “YES!!!” Jellybean began to dance around the room with the ticket high in the air. “See! I told you we’re friends! Not just like a babysitter. She wants ME to hang out with HER! For fun! Hey Juggy, can you get people to hang out with you without paying them? I think not! But IIIIIII can. I have a real life high school friend!”

She was insufferable for the rest of the night. Something had to be done. When she’d finally expended every bit of energy and fell asleep he approached his mom. 

“You can’t let her do this.” He pleaded with her.

“Lighten up, Jug. It’s one day. Why shouldn’t she go?”

“Because this is going to be a big deal to her. Betty only asked her because she has an extra ticket, but Jellybean thinks it’s some grand gesture of friendship. She’ll be heartbroken when she finally realizes what’s going on. Not to mention letting her go to a car show alone is a bad idea.”

Gladys humphed at him in frustration as she scrubbed at the counters, “What exactly do you think will happen? She’ll get kidnapped? Betty and her father will be there the whole time. As far as the friend thing, you may be right about that, but Jellybean’s already invested. You don’t know how she talks about Betty. Her hopes can’t get any higher. If she’s going to get hurt the least we can do is give her a few good days before it happens.”

“Seriously? That doesn’t sound a little F’ed up to you?”

She slapped her rag down on the indelibly stained counter, “I give up. You’re worried? Go with her. Have fun explaining to Jellybean why you wanted to be the third wheel.”

“Maybe I will.” He huffed.

“Good. Great.”

F.P. came stumbling in the door. “Hey honey, hey kid. I earned some money tonight.”

“Yeah? And then drank how much of it away?”

“Aw, Glad. Don’t be like that.”

Jughead left for his room before the real eruption began.

+++++++++++++++++

Asking Betty if she had a second extra ticket was awkward, despite her enthusiastic response. Actually going to the car show was so much worse. His mom had of course been right. Jellybean had been outraged to discover he was going. Betty’s dad had been called away in the first five minutes leaving him exactly as she’d predicted, extra baggage. Jellybean glared at him if he got within five feet of them. Beyond that he conceded that his little sister was having the time of her life. Betty had surprisingly in depth knowledge of the cars which Jellybean was eating up. They oohed and ahhed over the shiny vintage metal. They went on roller-coasters and shared treats that Betty graciously paid for. Betty even sat to get her face painted with whiskers, though Jellybean announced herself too old for that.

“Come on!” Jellybean urged. “You have to ride the Octopus with me!” she tugged at Betty’s hand.

“No way kiddo!” Betty looked up at the twirling black arms in disgust. “I do not feel like getting sick. Plus, I still have to finish this.” She took a large bite of funnel cake only to choke on the powdered sugar. A cloud of it went all over her gloves and jacket.

“Fine.” Jellybean giggled, “I’ll ride it alone. You better save me some of that!”

She ran off to the line, leaving Jughead alone with the object of too many of his passing thoughts.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ugh, twirly rides make me so nauseous. No thank you.” Betty blew warm air into her fist while fighting shivers.

He sighed in frustration, “I don’t mean on this bench. I mean why are you hanging out with a nine year old? Is it pity? Trying to give her the childhood you think we can’t? Because she’s happy with us.”

“Jesus, Jughead. Why are you so negative all the time? Is it really so hard to believe I wanted to just hang out with Jellybean?”

He nodded, “Kind of. Yeah.”

“You really want to know why I invited Jellybean? Here goes. My best friend who was also my boyfriend dumped me and then two days later started dating my other best friend. My last good friend then declared he, ‘couldn’t possibly take sides’ even though I’ve stuck by his side for a decade. Unless I want to throw myself a pity party and hang out with people who make me feel crappy I need to make new friends. I don’t want to talk about high school or boys and my interests include writing, black and white movies, vintage cars, and 90s girl hip-hop bands. So yes, as of this moment my best friend is a nine year old because she’s the person in this town I have the most in common with. Happy?”

They sat in tense awkward silence.

“She’s kind of my best friend too,” he offered in consolation, “and I’m sorry. About Archie and Veronica. I didn’t know.”

She scoffed, “I thought everybody knew. Isn’t that how this town works?”

“No.” he insisted, “there are some good people left who don’t spread rumors.”

She gave him a small smirk. Her hand rested on top of his with a squeeze. Unnatural lightning crawled across his skin, even through two layers of gloves. He pulled it back while clearing his throat, “Anyway, if you’re going to make a new friend, Jellybean is a pretty great one. I like her a lot.”

“Yeah, me too. And Juggy? I don’t do pity. It doesn’t make anyone feel better.”

“No shit.” He said with a smile. “You know, if you ever need someone to talk to or hang with at school. I’m around.”

“Awww!” she said loudly with a mocking tone, “Are we having a moment? I think we’re having a moment.” She ducked her head to rest on his shoulder for just a moment. 

He playfully shoved her away. “Shut up. But since you said you like old movies, now I’m going to have to check to make sure you like the right old movies.” 

“Bring it on. I’m not afraid of you.”

They talked and laughed until a dizzy Jellybean made it through the line and off the ride. 

“You were right. It was a terrible idea.” She collapsed onto the bench looking worse for the wear.

“I usually don’t do this, but I’m going to have to go with an ‘I told you so’. Up on your feet. Walking is the best cure.” Betty pulled her reluctantly back into the crowds.

+++++++++++++++++

For the first time Jughead really started to lament how much he worked. He was stuck behind counters and next to the projection wheel while Jellybean got to scamper around town with Betty. Gladys was working more and more trying to put up F.P.’s share of the rent. Whenever he could he convinced them to join him at the Twilight. He and his girls would huddle up with popcorn watching the reels run out. 

Betty glowed in the light of the screen. When she thought they weren’t looking she mouthed the words to the scenes. She threw herself so completely into the experience. All he could see was her. Every once in a while she would catch his glance, no matter how quickly he looked away. It always brought a flush to her cheeks. Then Jellybean would say something from her spot between them and the moment would get lost.

The three of them would go to festivals, carnivals, any big gathering they could in the afternoons before Jughead had to run the projectors. They toured the nearby towns and whisper about the inhabitants. They would make up inane stories about abandoned houses on haunted hills. As the snow melted and the flowers bloomed Jughead brought his camera out to take photographs of the girls as they collected the buds or just listened to music next to each other down by the river. He and Betty exchanged books and writing to edit for each other.

On one unseasonably warm March day Jellybean grabbed her fishing pole and the teens and went down to Sweetwater river. 

“Careful!” Betty called to Jellybean as she inched herself across a branch hanging low over the water. Once she deemed herself far enough she settled in to cast her reel into green waters.

“I was never that brave.” Betty admitted to him. “I would have stayed on shore. I admire that about her, the ability to take a risk.”

It was the first time in memory he’d seen her with her hair down. It was shorter than he imagined it would be. Golden strands just barely brushed her shoulders. A flowing white lace top over a black tank was doing nothing to shield her fair skin from the sun. It was the type of day he always imagined her being in. The type of warm sunny afternoon where the slight breeze was welcome, but not necessary. The pages of her notebook fluttered with it.

Fiction wasn’t his strong suit when it came to writing, but with the image of her looking like that, he began to weave a tale of a princess who was bound and determined to save herself. While Jellybean reeled in floppy sunfish he relayed his story to Betty in snippets as he dreamed them up.

“So far she’s killed seven people because the main guy, who’s still alive, killed Thomas. I’m feeling a very Tarantino-esque vibe.” Betty recapped, “But you still haven’t told me anything about Thomas. Was he her Dad? Husband? Brother? Forbidden crush?”

Jughead smirked. He was laying in the grass with his eyes closed. The sunlight made everything glow red behind his lids, “Oh no, Thomas was her dog. Her faithful and loyal companion who was poisoned by the Evil Lord for barking too loud.”

She audibly gasped, “He killed a dog? Well fuck that guy!”

A shocked laugh escaped him. He’d never heard her swear before, “I told you he was a bad guy.”

He lifted one lid just enough to take in the picture of her. She was gorgeous. Sunsoaked with the wind blowing just a little hair across her cheek, forming her clothes to those gorgeous curves. What kind of man could turn down Betty for any other woman in the world Jughead would never know.

“I CAUGHT ONE! I CAUGHT A REAL FISH!” Jellybean yelled until they raced over to see her triumphantly holding up a long fat bass. They both cheered. Betty waded into the water to take pictures of her magnificent catch. Jughead followed after to hoist Jellybean onto his shoulders so she could make it to shore still holding the reel. He had to learn how to fillet a fish that night from YouTube, but it was worth it, even if he had to leave for work before he could taste the fish-fry.

It was the best spring of his life. 

Until it wasn’t.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There was no warning. Not really. Looking back all the signs had been there. How many fights had he heard? How many night of his father sleeping off his whiskey on the couch? How much money gone down a bottle? How much hard work poured over ice and sucked down his throat?

Even with all of that, she’d never talked about leaving. Certainly not about skipping town entirely. Because for every one of those shitty nights there were other nights where F.P. would twirl her around the kitchen as they danced to Motown. There were exchanges of kisses and I love yous. Nights where F.P. would call her Joy because, ‘Your name is Glad, but you’re so much more to me.’

No, he’d been absolutely in the dark until he came home after a late shift to find Jellybean quietly weeping in their Mom’s car.

“Hey, hey. What’s going on?” She flung her little arms around his neck through the open window. She couldn’t even speak, just release big sobs of breath into his sweater. He held her until it subsided into hiccups. In the back seat suitcases and belongings were piled high. He could see his mother’s shadow pass in the windows.

“You stay put, I’m going to figure this out, okay?”

He found Gladys in much the same state. She was weeping as she stuffed a suitcase full of clothes and knick knacks.

“Mom? What’s going on. You’re really scaring Jellybean.”

She put her face into a floral dress and just cried. Eventually she wiped away the worst of the tears, “I just can’t do it Jug. I thought, for so long I thought, that if I just loved him enough or gave him enough that he’d get better. He’d realize how much we love him and just give it up. But he won’t. Not while we’re here. Oh Jughead, I wish there was any other way, but he won’t get better. Not while I’m here. If I’m here and I’m loving him and paying for it, why should he stop?”

“So we’re just moving away? Packing everything up and disappearing into the night. God, Mom.” He ran his hands in his hair in a failed attempt to calm down. He put a comforting arm around his mother’s shoulders. “Shit, no wonder Jellybean’s a mess. Where are we going?”

Then he really looked around. The door to his room was open. Everything was in it, untouched. Unpacked. Pictures were hanging. His pillow amongst the messy sheets. Gladys followed his gaze. More tears came as he let his arm slide off of her.

“I’m so sorry, Juggy.”

“You’re not taking me with you.” He was resigned.

“Look at me.” He met her wet eyed gaze with as level a stare as he could muster “This isn’t because I don’t want you or don’t love you. It’s just… I know that when you say F.P. left $200 on the counter that’s it’s really from you. I know you like working at the drive-in, but you don’t love working from the minute you get home to the minute you sleep, Jug. You shouldn’t have to. You’ve been doing too much. You’ve been taking care of us for so long I’m not sure you know how to stop. You’re only 15! If you come with us, I know you’ll just start doing it all over again.” Her speech was interrupted with more quiet weeping.

“So you’ll just leave me here to fend for myself? How is that different?”

She sniffled some tears away, “At least you’ll only be taking care of you, instead of all four of us! I know this feels awful, like I’m abandoning you, but it’s the only way I can give you even a shot at being a real kid who can enjoy high school. And I’m leaving F.P., but that doesn’t mean I don’t love him. I don’t want him to be alone either.” She cupped his face in her hands, “But don’t you start supporting him. You check in on him, you stop by, but don’t you give him a dime. Take this chance, baby. Please. Go be a teenager.”

“Do I have any other choice?”

Gladys gathered him into a sobbing hug. Jughead tried in vain to keep his own tears away, “I’m sorry, but no. Forsythe Pendleton Jones III, you are the very heart of me. Be your best. Do good things. Be happy.” With a kiss and a palm against his cheek she picked up that last suitcase and headed for the car.

Jellybean leaned out the window for another hug, “Don’t forget me okay?”

“Oh Jelly, no one will ever forget you.”

“Give this to Betty for me?” she handed Jughead an envelope covered in stickers. “Oh Juggy, what if I don’t like Ohio?” she asked quietly.

“You will. Lots of open spaces. And it’s much warmer than here. I’ll be begging to come see you before you know it. I love you, Forsythia.”

“Gross, Forsythe.” She giggled through the tears. “You’re pretty okay.”

He chuckled back, “You too, kid.” He felt the car sway as the trunk closed.

“That’s the last of it.” His Mom’s makeup was destroyed with tears. Her mascara was halfway down her cheeks mixing with smudged foundation.

“Hey Mom? I love you too.” She nodded with tight lips to keep more sobs from spilling out. With a wave she closed her door. Almost everything Jughead loved on Earth drove away into the night. His whole life gone in ten minutes. 

++++++++++++++++

He skipped school the next day to go quit his job at the fast food joint. He shouldn’t have, really. There was no more money coming in from anybody but him. F.P. had come home the night before so obliterated he hadn’t even noticed that Gladys had taken Jellybean and fled. Jughead fucking hated him for that. His mom was right about everything. Well if she left so that he could quit his job and act like a teenager so be it. Ditching class also qualified as teenage behavior, in his opinion.

When he got back to the house to find F.P. still passed out he could barely contain the urge to smash one of those beer bottles over his head. Instead he gathered everything he could into his big backpack. He only took what he thought he would really need to survive. A few hours later and the projection booth at the Twilight was beginning to look a lot like a home. It was only noon and there was nothing left for him to do with his day.

He could join up with the local druggies, he mused. They usually braved the light around lunch. Maybe he’d become a pothead just to spite his mom. Except they wouldn’t have him. He was known as a loner. If he’d shown up at the park where they were known to frequent they’d assume he was a narc. Instead he just sat in the projection booth and read books until school got out so he could talk to the one person still left behind.

Betty came to the door as a cool breeze. She was so filled with light. Even the way she opened the door had a buoyancy to it. She greeted him with a sincerely happy, “Juggy! I thought you had to work! I’m so glad you’re here. What should we do today?”

“I’m not- just… here.” He handed over the bright envelope.

“Yay! Jellybean told me she wanted to start being pen pals with me. Couldn’t wait for the mail to bring me the letter I see. Thanks for playing mailman.”

She sat down on her stoop to read the letter right then. Jughead decided to indulge in the one vice he had by pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. Betty made a face and waved the smoke away, but didn’t comment. As she read the letter she made comments about the content. How excited Jellybean was about the new class pet. How she was considering her future career options. The bulk had clearly been written before the fallout.

“That’s weird, she switched pen color at the bottom. I guess it really is a post script. P.S. My Mom says we have to move to Grandma’s in Ohio. She’s packing everything into the car right now really fast like she’s afraid Dad will come home.” She paused to clutch at Jughead. Her hand landed hard on his shoulder. “I may never see you again, and I wanted to let you know I really liked the cars and movies. Take care of Jughead, I don’t think we have room for him-”

Betty bolted down the steps and started running down the street, “JUGHEAD! Don’t just sit there! We have to go say goodbye! Or we have to stop this.”

She was almost to the end of the block before she paused to wait for him, “What’s wrong with you? Hurry!” she waved her arms wildly for him.

“They’re already gone, Bets.” He had to say it louder than he wanted to. It felt like the words echoed off of the pristine suburban houses. “Left as soon as I got home last night. They might already be there by now.”

“Your Mom just left you here?” She was completely aghast. She couldn’t fathom such a thing, of course, because the Coopers would never leave one of their own behind. Certainly never the irreplaceable Betty Cooper.

He stubbed the cigarette out with the tip of his boot as he nodded. Without making eye contact he waved to her, “Bye. If Jellybean writes I’ll tell you.”

He could hear her chasing him down as he walked away, “That’s it? We’re not even friends anymore?”

“Come on, Betty. We were never friends. I’m just that weird guy you let hang out near you because you were friends with his sister. No sister equals no connection. I’m not an idiot.” The hat he loved sat as a crown of bitterness. The reminder that he chose everyday to retain that oddness that set him apart.

“Well I must be an idiot because I really thought I made two friends. Yeah, I like Jellybean, but you were right when you wondered how much I could really have in common with a 9 year old. She’s my choice for car shows, you’re my choice for movies and pizza nights. You’re the person I share my writing with. Do you really think I want to go back to hanging out with the Vixens?”

He couldn’t even respond. He just gave her an exasperated annoyed look, “What do you want from me?”

“I wave at you in the halls. I say ‘hi’ to you every day at school. You’re the one who ignores me. If you want to be left alone because your Mom just left and you’re sad or if you never want to see me again and not hang out with me anymore, that’s fine. I just want you to know that if you do that it’s on you, because I want to be friends.”

Another rush of anger came over him, “My Mom fucking packed up and left me, Betty. She left and she’s not coming back.”

Betty nodded, “Yeah, I know.” A tear left a track on her face as it fell.

“She fucking abandoned me. If I hadn’t come home right after work she wouldn’t have even said goodbye. I might not have even gotten a note. Why the fuck would you want to be friends with a guy whose own Mom left?” His anger started to melt away into soul crushing sorrow.

When Betty wrapped him up in her arms he just let her, “She didn’t leave you, Juggy. She left him. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this. I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”

He buried his face in her soft sweater and cried so long it soaked down to her skin.

+++++++++++++++++++++

He avoided her for a week after. As consolation every time he happened to pass her in the hallway he gave her a small nod. He was sure she noticed because she always beamed at him afterward. Without a second job or babysitting duty he really did have a sudden spike in free time. Too bad he had no friends or hobbies to fill it with. He wrote, he walked around town, but with no internet or family to distract him the hours were long in his little projection booth. At least the Twilight’s manager trusted him enough to make him the only employee who ran the reels so his tiny house went undiscovered.

He’d gotten so used to having everything in his life to himself that he about jumped out of his skin when Betty burst in the projection room unannounced one Friday night.

“Sorry! Didn’t mean to startle you.” She entered with popcorn, hot dogs, pizza and soda.

“Damn. You planning on putting all of that away? You’d double your body weight.”

“It’s for both of us, obviously. Horror movies require more snacks. It’s practically proven scientifically.”

He saw the exact moment she realized that bedroll against the wall had been there for a while. “Don’t do it, Bets. Don’t worry about it and don’t get involved. It’s fine.”

“F.P.’s been that bad?”

“Who knows. I haven’t seen him. I heard he called the cops when he sobered up enough to realize they were gone. Filed a missing persons. One of the deputies questioned me, I told them the truth. I haven’t had the stomach to look at him. I’m afraid I’ll just punch him. A lot.”

She kept quiet. For about a minute. “You know I can’t just let this go, right?”

He sighed heavily, “I have met you before, I’m aware of your tendencies. Can you at least promise not to get official channels involved?”

“That, I can do.”

“And you don’t have to buy me food. I have enough money to eat.”

She side eyed him, “You let me buy you food before this. Don’t act like you’re above pizza. Now set up those reels. I have some Birds to watch.”

It was kind of nice to have a little company.

He didn’t find her insistence so endearing when she showed up the crack of dawn the next morning. When he tried to tell her as much she told him it was more like 10:00 and they had a lot to accomplish that day. He kicked her out so he could put himself together.

He hoped she recognized the disdain in the glare he was giving her, “What exactly is it you think I have to do this early on a Saturday? I’m literally at my place of work and I’m not doing homework right now.”

She linked their hands together to drag him along, “If I’m going to allow you to be homeless, you’re at least going to do it right.”

His eyebrows shot up high, “You want me to be homeless… correctly? I feel like that’s not a thing.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. We’re going to make it a thing.”

Their first stop was the largest gym in town. It had two floors, was open 24 hours, and held less than zero appeal to him on like a molecular level. He told her as much. She waved off his bemoaning that he had no desire to even set foot in the building, and forced him to go anyway. To make matters worse, she forced him to pay for a membership. It at least smelled clean and was pleasantly warm compared to the chilly spring morning. 

When the employee left to process his paperwork he demanded an explanation.

“Think about it, Juggy. This place has showers that have shampoo dispensers, so you can stay clean. It’s open 24hrs for those super cold or hot nights, and there are comfy couches for you to sit in and enjoy the free wi-fi. If anyone asks you say you’re the kid of some gym rat. And yes, you could also exercise if you want to, but it fills other needs on the list for way less than rent.”

“Let’s say, hypothetically, that I’m begrudgingly willing to admit that all of that makes sense. How in God’s name did you figure all that out overnight?”

“Later,” she assured him when the bulky woman came back with Jughead’s key card. He was not so easily deterred and asked again on their way to the library.

“Remember how I said the Cooper clan is not as glamorous as we seem? When I was little I thought about running away. Just a few dozen times or so. When I was really little it was just going to be me picking up a few stuffed animals and my favorite outfit, you know how kids are. When I got older the plans became more elaborate. I’ve done a startling large amount of research on how to be homeless in this region. I can walk into the woods right now and tell you which plants are safe to eat and where fresh berries grow.”

“That is a tour I’d love to take. Alright, why the library?”

“Ah yes, the gym was for the basic things everyone needs. This is for Jughead specific needs.”

Libraries weren’t a mystery to him. He was the proud holder of a library card, of course, but she knew what each location had to offer. Some didn’t just check out books and movies, but also DVD and cassette players. Others had study rooms that could be checked out, which Betty informed him would be great nap locations. They had water bottle filling stations, boards with roommate postings. Tons of resources on where to get food when.

“And they also have printers!” She said handing over a stack of papers that was fresh and hot off the presses.

“What are these forms for? I thought we agreed not to tell any official channels?”

“We aren’t telling anyone you’re not at home. This is FRL paperwork. Free and Reduced Lunch. Based on income you qualify to get breakfast and lunch free at school. That way I’m not buying you food and you’re still getting at least 2 meals, 5 days a week.”

“I hate this.”

She patted him on the back, “Suck it up, buttercup. There are only two and a half months left in school for you to earn money to pay your way through summer. Save money by taking the ten minutes to fill these out. Then I’ll officially be off your back about letting you sleep in the projection booth. Well, 95%.”

He reluctantly put pen to paper, “I shudder to think what the last 5% is.”

When everything was said and done she dragged him to her house. Being the middle of a Saturday he expected to encounter someone else. He was happily surprised to find they were alone in the house. He’d never been there before. Not even during his short lived friendship with Archie in elementary school before Betty’s family moved in. It was very…

“Sorry, about the pink. I’ve begged my Mom to let me change it. It’s not happening until she dies or moves out. Oh! Here is the finally 5%. First, my window. On those nights when you need to sleep in a house, please, please just come here. I have a floor, pillows, and blankets. Second, ta da!”

She handed him a long, cushy, thing.

“Thanks?”

“It’s a mattress!” It was about four feet wide and eight feet long. It would just barely fit underneath his sleeping bag.

“It’s thin, clearly not a twin. Where did you buy this?” 

“I didn’t, I made it.”

“From what?” he asked incredulously.

“I just took two infant mattresses, cut the ends off, put in enough pollyfill to keep the gap closed and sewed a cover around it to keep them together.”

He sat down on it, bouncing a little as a test. “When did you have the time?”

“It came together in a snap.” In truth it took four hours and almost two hundred dollars, but she’d sat on his cold lumpy floor the night before. With everything so up in turmoil it had been cathartic to do something concrete that would help someone out. Telling someone to improve his situation wasn’t an action Jug would forgive, this however, he could hardly deny her a little sewing.

“Thanks.” He meant it. It was nice to feel like at least one person cared.

“It’s the least I could do. What are you up to tonight?”

It was said almost shyly. Like it meant more than it usually did. “Same thing I do every Saturday. Working at the Twilight.”

“Right, duh, sorry. Want company?”

“Nah. It’s the same movie as last night. You’ll be bored, and I really should catch up on the work I missed for school. I should actually be leaving pretty soon.”

“Yeah, of course.” She leaned in to just barely graze her lips across his cheek. “Take care, Jug. Don’t forget that I’m here and I’d love to hang out sometime.”

“You’re number one on my speed dial. Or you would be if that was still a thing. See you around, Cooper.”

It was the first day he didn’t spend every waking moment hurting.

 

From then on she would just come to him. He’d think he was alone at the library and then she’d appear like the Lady of the Lake stepping out of Avalon mists. A greasy burger at Pop’s would be halfway gone when suddenly she’d slide into the booth. After that first time he never questioned how she knew where to be or when. He could hardly indulge the fantasy that she’d gone looking for him. The posse of friends she’d left behind slowly came back to her during school hours. She was back to giggling with Kevin down hallways and sharing notes with Ethel. She wasn’t the only observant one. His nest egg of funding was steadily growing under Betty’s strict budgeting. It really did pay off to know what you were doing when homeless.

Only, the drive-in really did feel like home after just a week or two. It was a terrible reason for him to stay there when a late cold snap blew its way into town, yet he decided to hunker down. He didn’t want to splurge on a space heater or hotel room for what was likely to be only a single frozen night, so he was relying on many layers of clothing and his laptop to keep him warm. 

What little heat he’d managed to trap in the room escaped quickly when Betty shuffled in, “I knew it! I told you to come crash on my floor if it got cold, and it’s freezing. Literally.”

She was layered up to her eyeballs and carrying a shiny silver thermos in a mittened hand. “And since I know that if you don’t show up on your own you won’t come willingly to my house, I’ve decided to camp out here with you tonight!”

“That’s a terrible idea!” he had to abandon the warmth of his blankets to help her carry in her supplies.

“If it’s such a terrible idea to sleep here, why are you doing it? Help me get the rest of my stuff from the car. I don’t want to make two trips.”

While she hadn’t brought a heater, she had brought a microwave and heat pads. She poured them both steaming hot cocoa as popcorn puffed up in the device. Jackets and gloves came off, but Betty left her bulky pullover sweater on. As repayment for her ‘help’ she demanded the right to choose any movie on his laptop to watch. He had an extensive catalog of illegally obtained films. They sat sideways in his sleeping area with the blankets piled up to their ears, the laptop resting on their knees. Of the options he supposed she could have chosen something worse than The Outsiders.

That lead to them talking about books they had to read for school and of those which ones they enjoyed or hated. Betty eventually brought up the well loved copy of _Slaughterhouse-Five_ laying nearby.

“I read it before it was assigned in school. I pretty much hated how they made us analyze it in English class. Do they really expect us to believe there’s that much symbolism in everything written?” He scoffed in dismay, “How about you? Did you read it for school or pleasure?”

“Both. One summer in middle school I decided that I would read all of the high school required reading. After I read _Slaughterhouse_ I became determined to be well read in all things Vonnegut. I thought it would make me sound smart or sophisticated, something like that. After reading _Slapstick_ I couldn’t stomach it anymore.” 

She was so close to him. Gone was the preternatural awareness of where she was, it was unnecessary with her pressed to his side. She smelled like conditioner in a clean way, no overpowering perfume or cloying soap smell. He was close enough to see one shoulder of her cardigan was pilling from over washing. She too loved clothing to the point of wearing it down. Why did that make him feel at ease?

“Why Slapstick? What about that book made you stop?”

She stared down at the cover of _Slaughterhouse_. She shrugged while tracing her fingers over the title. “It’s alternate title was _Lonesome No More!_ By the end of the book I was so lonely I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Vonnegut once said, ‘We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.’ Only I’ve been pretending to be this really happy, kind, forgiving person and I just… can’t seem to make myself into her, you know?”

“Are we who we think we are, or who we are perceived to be?” He was having a hard time trying to see Betty as anything other than the mirage she’d described. She’d become the only real person in his world, and that person had been exactly what she’d just listed.

“I don’t know. Who are you Jughead Jones?”

“It’s strange. I know I’m weird, but being me seems so normal. It’s everybody else who isn’t making any sense.”

She was doing that thing again. Holding his hand. Only, she didn’t just lace their fingers. She kept moving them, like massaging his fingers in hers so there was never a chance for his skin to adjust to her warmth.

She was staring down at their intertwined digits as she moved them. “Well, you’re living in a projection booth, voluntarily, so I won’t comment on you being weird, but I think you’re a good person.”

He swallowed hard, “Nah, I’m neutral. The best detectives always are. Speaking of detectives, where do your parents think you are?”

“Kevin’s. I’m taking advantage of his guilt to use him as my cover story.”

Their faces were so close he could feel the heat radiating off of her, “Is that what makes you think you’re not kind or forgiving? You have to help me out here, because I’m drawing a blank on why you think that.”

With her right hand still interwoven she curled her left arm around him. Almost her whole body was around his arm, “I need to forgive Archie and Veronica. The truth is that I was going to break up with him anyway. It wasn’t working and we both knew it. We thought there was a romantic spark where there was only friendship, but he used to look at me like I was the only person in the room when I spoke. Like I mattered,” 

Her voice was soft, intimate, “then one day, in walks Veronica and she’s so beautiful and interesting and he hasn’t heard all of her stories a million times. I could see him falling for her right in front of me. I should have just let him go, but I clung on too long because I was afraid of being alone. And he clung on too, so that by the time he ended it they were basically already dating without kissing. I’ve been over it for weeks but I still feel so bitter about the fact that they did that to me.”

Jugead caressed her fingers back, “’Cause it was a total jackass move. He should have ended it sooner and she shouldn’t have said yes so fast. Fuck ‘em. You’re twice the woman she could ever dream of being. Forgive them when they earn it.”

Not that they ever could. To earn Betty there would have to be mountains traversed or hymns written. She was a mythological creature the likes of which they’d never see again. On the screen the movie quietly ended.

“We should get some sleep.” Betty whispered into the now darker room.

Getting up meant losing the gathered heat in the cloth and breaking the spell cast over them. Jughead chose instead to lay them down facing each other on the narrow mattress, huddled in each other’s warmth. Betty brought their combined hands up to her mouth.

“Your fingers are still cold.” She blew across them. He was transfixed. 

He wasn’t sure if he intended to kiss Betty or not. It wasn’t as if he made a conscious decision about it. Her lips were just such a perfect shade between pink and red. Her eyes were so large, inviting, kind. No, it wasn’t a decision, it was a necessity. In the dull light their mouths slotted perfectly together. Time stretched into thick sticky moments that moved slowly past as they exchanged breaths. With only their hands and mouths touching their encounter was hardly erotic, but Jughead was getting swept up in waves of arousal anyway.

After a few moments of torturous delights he pulled back to kiss her forehead, “Goodnight, Betts. I hope you have sweet dreams.”

He thought he’d stay awake for days replaying what happened. In reality he fell swiftly asleep, and stayed that way until morning. It was a feat he hadn’t accomplished in quite some time.

In the harsh light of day nothing made sense any more. 

He’d kissed her after she’d just been talking about how much she missed other people. What kind of a creeper did that? She’d also been all but trapped by the cold. She’d been vulnerable and he’d taken advantage. What had seemed romantic and long awaited seemed rash and unceremonious when he’d woken up to a sore back and cold face. He crawled over her to escape to the restrooms. It was barely past dawn. Frozen grass crunched underneath him as he trekked sans jacket. He brushed his teeth angrily, muttering abuse at himself the entire time.

All of the animosity drained out of him when a cozy Betty lifted the covers for him to rejoin her. She curled up on his chest as he slid into bed. She wasn’t even fully awake when pressing kitten kisses to his jaw. He snuggled down to stay in the bubble for as long as he could.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It took him two days to realize he was thinking about the situation all wrong. He’d been treating it like Donnie Darko, waiting to wake up at any moment to the sky falling. What he should have been doing was treating it like Inception. It was all a dream he’d eventually wake up from, but it could be years from now. In between he had at least the illusion of control over what happened.

He started kissing her whenever he wanted to. In their seats at the Bijou before the movie started he’d press quick Coca Cola kisses to her mouth. When she found him in the stacks at the library he’d offer slow open kisses before they studied, and after he’d kiss her forehead before she left. During really late nights at Pop’s when no one else was looking kisses were stolen between words and fries. After every single one he had to stop himself from sighing in relief at giving in to the impulse instead of fighting it. 

Once that last dying breath of cold was gone Riverdale began the languid transition from spring to summer. The days began to stretch longer offering precious daylight minutes to spend out in fields blooming into color. Kissing her among the flowers was his favorite. Despite being out in the open they felt alone. She would casually throw her leg over him as they watched clouds roll by and discuss books. Then he’d tug her close enough to feel her lips with his. When he’d had his fill he’d let his mouth wander the expanse of her neck down to her collarbone as she straddled him. The light would catch in her hair as she smiled down at him. It looked like love.

The only clouds on his horizon were the lost figures of the Jones’. He talked to Jellybean and his mother on the phone often enough, though it wasn’t the same. J.B., as she now wanted to be called, was entering a moody teenage phase according to Gladys. Jughead knew she was missing them. Missing home. A selfish part of him knew that he’d have to share his Betty if she came back. He’d still have taken the opportunity if it was there.

F.P. was a whole other problem. Before his first stolen kisses with his Hitchcock blonde he’d gone to see his father. He’d been distraught. Completely out of his mind wanting his girls back. He’d also been half inside a bottle. Jughead commiserated, but there was nothing he could do. The drink owned his father. It was a battle only he could fight, so Jughead had cleaned what he could then left again.

In the middle of their sun drenched days together they walked in slow steps hand in hand to the trailer. He went when he knew F.P. would be out with the Serpents. Betty was washing dishes while he went through the mail to sort the bills from the junk. Between ads was one stark white envelope and one with dark edgy stickers on it. They were nearly three weeks old. Anger at his father’s neglect swelled hard and fast, but left quickly.

“Betts! We have Jelly Mail!”

Betty burst out the door, “Really? I’ve been writing her every week at the address you gave me. I was afraid it was going to the wrong place.”

J.B. was into punk rock now. Most of the other kids didn’t get her the way Betty did, or they didn’t talk to her the way Jughead did, using proper words like she was grown up. A few of the kids though, were pretty cool. There were two girls who also despised emojis and liked to watch gory horror movies that their parents didn’t approve of. One of them had an older brother who had a vinyl collection and was introducing them to the essentials from the 70s and 80s. Pink Floyd spoke to her soul. She signed off, ‘Don’t be another brick in the wall’ to both of them. They read their own letters silently, then each others out loud. It felt like she was really there. 

++++++++++++++++

Jughead’s life had prepared him well to wait for the other shoe to drop. The longer he had to wait the more anxious he became. He’d made an unspoken rule that he wouldn’t kiss her at school. It was the one type of backlash he wasn’t prepared for. Part of him couldn’t shake the idea that if she saw how they would react she’d realize he wasn’t worth it. Occasionally though when they passed in the halls he would let his fingers brush hers and curl to hold on for just a moment. That opened the door for Betty to do more.

She had started not just waving to him in the halls, but walking over and talking to him. She seemed oblivious to the way necks snapped to figure out what she could be doing with him. The whispering masses seemed to agree that she was helping him with something. A project, his clothing choices, coming out as gay. The stories varied in that regard, but no Riverdale student in their right mind would suspect she spent her nights in his lap kissing him breathless. Even he worried about hallucinations.

Archie stopping by his locker to say, “Hey, Jug!” seemed like just the kind of bad omen he’d been waiting on.

“Hello person who hasn’t spoken to me in three years.” The redhead winced at the greeting.

“I guess I deserve that. Look, I heard about your Mom and-”

“From who?” He shot out.

“Kevin’s Dad had to file then un-file the missing persons. The whole town kinda knows.” He shrugged an apology.

“Great. Just what I need.” He busied himself shoving books in and taking out the appropriate notebooks for class. 

“Anyway, I just thought you might want to talk or something. My number hasn’t changed.”

“You mean like how you wanted to talk about your Mom so badly you completely shunned me?” Even Jughead was surprised at how bitter he sounded. He thought he was over this. Above it.

Archie nodded with his gaze at the floor, “I was a dick. Everything reminded me of her and I was so angry that I just cut out everything. I joined football because it was something new, no memories attached. Once I got myself sorted out I should have reached out to you. I’m sorry, I should have done this sooner, but I’m doing it now. Just, you know where to find me if you want to talk. That’s all.” He clapped a hand on Jughead’s shoulder.

The real issue with trying to stay mad at Archie Andrews was that he consistently looked like a puppy. When he was in hurt puppy mode it was nigh impossible to deny him anything.

Just as he turned to walk away Jughead said, “I suppose I’ll let you buy me a ticket to a double feature at Bijou.”

The redhead beamed, “I’ll bet that ticket I owe you also needs to come with popcorn and soda.”

“Duh.” They grinned at each other.

“I’ll text you!” Archie called as he hustled off to class.

Betty glided up to him, “What was that all about?”

“Making amends. I’ll see you after class.” Without thinking, completely on autopilot he leaned down and kissed her goodbye. The collective gasp from the student body was probably just in his head. The click of a camera on someone’s phone was not. At least when he pulled back Betty was bathed in a happy glow. It could be worth it if she made it out intact. 

It certainly felt to him like the entire world knew by lunch, and she didn’t even have the same lunch slot as him. Cheryl Blossom was looking at him like he was a mysterious puzzle that needed solving. Luckily for him her interest waned quickly when her dearest brother walked into the lunchroom with none other than the other Cooper girl. The Cooper/Blossom rivalry was well known, so it was instantly the hottest story of the day. He sighed in relief at a bullet dodged.

Unfortunately dodging a bullet on one side left him open on the other. 

He waited patiently for Archie to show at the theatre. Once he did Jughead nearly about-faced and walked away. His ex and maybe future friend showed up in his letterman jacket with a well tailored brunette on his arm.

“Juggy! You made it!” Archie called out with a wave. Veronica smiled politely next to him.

“Yeah, I’m not so sure I did. See, I was told I was reconciling with a friend tonight, not pulling duty as a third wheel.” He said with a dry annoyed tone.

“That’s my fault. Veronica Lodge.” She held her white gloved hand out face down, as if she expected him to help her over puddles. He shook it skeptically, “I simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet the long lost best friend. Archiekins talks about you all the time.”

“Archiekins?” he flushed a little at the nickname to Jughead’s obvious pleasure. “Well, Archiekins, I didn’t know we were supposed to bring our significant others. I thought this was about you and me. A reconciliation by the light of the silver screen.”

“Well,” Veronica said with a hint of deviousness in her voice, “why don’t you call yours up? Yeah, the four of us can all go out for shakes after!”

He eyed her warily, “You don’t think that would make for the most awkward double date in history?”

“No awkwardness here! Just old friends, catching up!” She smiled at him encouragingly.

“Yeah. Sure. No way this will go badly.” He texted Betty to meet him at the theater with as much context as he could. While continuously telling himself what a terrible idea it was they purchased tickets and refreshments. He felt bad not paying for Betty’s ticket to the train crash of an evening, but she would have insisted anyway.

Veronica picked their aisle and seats, then directed the boys on the seating arrangement. She forced them to sit next to each other, leaving room for her next to Archie and a blank seat on the end. They made tedious small talk about what movies they had both seen recently. Archie tried to tell him abut football to Jughead’s obvious disgust. At least the disdain on his face made Archie laugh and break the tension.

“Betty!” Veronica called and waved, “What are you doing here?”

Her ponytail bobbed out to the side as she tilted her head in confusion. She looked to him, “Jug?” she said quietly, “I thought you said they invited me?” 

Veronica chuckled lowly, “I think we had a misunderstanding, I told Jughead to invite his girlfriend.”

He physically fought the urge to cringe, “You said ‘significant other’, and this is my… other.”

As it dawned on Veronica her mouth dropped in surprise. It took Archie, eyes glancing between all of them, several moments longer to catch up. Jughead felt like a moron. The gossip train had apparently missed their stop.

“Wait…” Archie started, then looked around seemingly confused by his own conclusion, “What?”

Betty gracefully took her spot with nothing but a small flush on her cheeks, “We’re together.”

“Well I think it’s great!” Veronica said with false cheer, “Now the four of us can all hang out. What could be better than that?”

Jughead shot her a scathing glare, “If there were no weird shared dating history. At least now I know why you didn’t think this night would be awkward as hell.”

“Juggy,” Betty lightly admonished him. He slung his arm around her shoulder and left his hand dangling down. She reached up to clutch it with a small smile. Archie looked like they’d just grown a plethora of elbows from their ears.

“What?” Juggy asked of the blatant staring.

“Nothing. I think it’s great.” He said quickly under Veronica’s scrutinizing eyes, “I just didn’t think you two knew each other that well and-” he was cut off by the lights dimming down to start the movie. Jughead had never been so thankful of polite theater etiquette.

They left after only one movie of the double feature, a strike against the night if ever there ever was one in his book. Because it was May and the weather was so nice Betty didn’t huddle next to him for warmth on the way to Pop’s leaving Veronica free to hook Betty’s elbow and abscond with her. Strike two. 

He would have happily ignored the siren call of Pop’s shakes to have gone home early with his girl, but with the girls walking ahead of them he had no opportunity to pull her away. He was left behind listening to Archie talk about how he was getting really into poetry. As if that was something Jughead would be thoroughly invested in.

“Hey, uh, Betty?” Archie asked just as the bell dinged to let Pop know they had arrived. “Can I talk to you out here for a minute? School stuff.”

When she said, “Sure.” Jughead’s heart dropped to his stomach. 

He stayed in the doorway longer than he should have straining against the sounds of the street. He stayed long enough to hear Archie ask, “You’re not dating Jughead to get back at me, are you? I mean, why are you dating him?”

Strike three. Archie really should have known better than to ask the question so loudly, but Jughead had been asking himself the same thing for days. The only difference was that he wasn’t even sure if they were dating. She let him kiss her. That was all, was that even dating? Late at night, he liked to think so. He wanted to believe that when Jellybean came back he’d have to give a big speech about how he and Betty were ‘together’ now. Things would have to change because they’d want some alone time, but they’d still include her as much as possible.

All of it, the kissing, the fields, the fantasy. All of it would come crashing down if Betty asked herself the question Archie just posed. Why was she with him? It certainly wasn’t a question he could answer in a satisfactory way. He doubted she could either. The buildings of his Inception dream began to tumble.

“So, Jughead Jones.” Veronica was hell bent on small talk. “Have you lived in Riverdale your whole life?”

“The third.”

“This is your third year here?”

“No,” he’d always found Veronica exhausting and this was the first time he’d spoken to her, “I mean that I’m Jughead Jones III. All three generations are Riverdale born and raised.”

“There are two other Jughead Joneses in the world?” she was incredulous.

“Of course not.” Betty answered for him. She put a hand on his chest and leaned in for a kiss before she sat down. Given that he was expecting her to come back and break up with him, it was confusing. 

Archie slid in next to Veronica with a chagrined look. Man never could play poker.

“Well if there aren’t two other Jugheads, how can you be the third?”

Archie’s grin grew wide and genuine, “Jughead is just a nickname because he doesn’t like what really comes before the three.”

A waiter came to their table to take their orders, ensuring Jughead had to live through the nightmare for at least another hour. It was fine, overall. The company was stilted. Archie and Betty knew each other so well but didn’t want to just reminisce about old times with their significant others present. Veronica kept interjecting information about her New York lifestyle that other humans might have cared about, but not them. She did drop old movie references left and right, which he could appreciate.

He ate quickly and asked Betty to leave the moment the bill came. She nodded yes then gave out hugs. Hugs. As farewell to her ex and once again friends.

Betty turned to make sure they were far away from the door, “Oh my God. How weird was that? Ick.” She screwed her face up like she was eating lemons raw.

“Right?!” he said. His mind was still back in the doorway. She was going to go home and examine their relationship. He was going to be found wanting. She would dismiss him with a polite, ‘Let’s still be friends’ and like an idiot he would be her friend just to be close enough to see her radiance. She’d realize she was dating him just to spite Archie and run right into the redhead’s arms when he realized Veronica was just the knockoff version of the girl he left behind. It was going to be awful.

“Oh, and get this, Archie asked me if I was dating you to get back at him!” She laughed, free and easy.

“And what did you say?” he managed to croak out.

“That he should stop being such a self-centered jerk. He asked why we’re dating, as if I don’t have about a thousand things more in common with you than him.”

Just like that she came waltzing out of the clouds of debris. Just dismissed it all as if it wasn’t there. As if it were truly unreasonable for him to ever have even thought it. A tree shaded them from the light of the lamppost on the street. He paused her there so that she couldn’t see his eyes as he asked, “Do we though? What do we really have in common? Why are you dating me?”

Only a masochist would ask, would taunt her to delve deeper.

“Juggy, you know that you make me laugh and we have a million things in common. When I was dating Archie what we talked about was that we were dating. You and I spent an hour yesterday debating the nuances of what made for the best Hepburn in history. What is going on with you tonight?”

“I don’t know.” He did. “I guess it just feels like we couldn’t be more different sometimes.”

She took his face in her hands, “We’d be boring if we had the same personality, or all the same interests. What matters is we enjoy each other and we have enough in common to have fun. That and I think you’re pretty cute.”

She kissed with such passion. Every time it ripped a sigh out of him as they parted. It took pieces of his soul away. 

He took a deep breath before confessing, “When I was 10 or 11 I got a Playstation for Christmas. I loved it. I spent every minute I could playing games on it. Mostly with Archie. Then one day I come home and my Dad says he pawned it for money because we couldn’t afford to pay the heat. A few months later, Archie’s Mom leaves and he just stops talking to me. 100% cuts me off. I don’t get to have nice things, Bets. Never have. It was fine when you were Jellybean’s friend because you weren’t really with me. You weren’t mine. If I admit that we’re together, that this is something I want, I’m afraid it’ll come apart at the seams.”

Her lips came to his with soft heat and urgency. Her tongue dipped past his lips then back again, “Juggy, my last boyfriend basically cheated on me with me best friend, and I still sit with him at lunch. There is nothing you can do to get me to go away. I’m like glitter, just when you think it’s all gone you find little bits of it everywhere.”

“But that’s the thing, Betty. I don’t want to be your friend ever again.” 

“I can’t make any promises. We’re 15! I don’t know if we’re meant to be or if this is going to last. All I know is that right now, you’re the only person I want to be with. You’re the only person I feel comfortable with, the one who makes me feel the most like myself. So I’m going to keep holding your hand,” she intertwined their fingers, “and I’m going to keep kissing you.” She caught his lower lip between hers, “and I’m going to hopefully do more.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him, making them both laugh. 

He exhaled happily, “I can work with that.”

“… and if it doesn’t work out, we’ll talk to each other instead of letting it go bad. Deal?”

She held out her pinky. “Deal.” He said, swooping the little finger up with his.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Three Years Later

“JELLYBEAN!” They both yelled as they spotted her amongst the suitcases in the baggage claim. She waved vigorously back as she waited for her luggage at the carousel. 

Jughead lifted her into a tight hug as he reached her first. Betty waited her turn. She and J.B. embraced and shared their current letters. They all piled into Jughead’s fourth-hand Jeep.

“Oh God! Is that still going on?” J.B. asked when Betty leaned over to give Jughead a kiss.

“Do you really think I wouldn’t have written a letter if we’d broken up?” Betty asked with mock shock.

“It’s just so gross.” J.B. stuck her tongue out, “and last time I was here you two had sex while I was in the next room.”

“No we didn’t!” Jughead argued. Except they totally had. It explained the weird look she’d given them the next morning.

“Whatever, just keep the PDAs and kissing to the minimum. I know you two love each other and blah, blah, blah, I just don’t need to see it.”

“We do. We love each other.” He paused to look at Betty. She was beautiful with the sunset behind her, beaming with the smile that belonged to him.

“Yeah we do,” she kissed his hand, “but just for you we’ll put it on hold. Now start this car, Juggy! We have a circus to get to!”

“Hell yeah we do!”

So the three of them set off towards their next adventure. Jughead hoped it was one of many to come.


End file.
